The present invention relates to a disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus including an eject lever for unloading a disk cartridge from a cartridge holder.
An apparatus as shown in FIG. 26 is known as an example of a disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus including an eject lever. In a disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus 401 shown in FIG. 26, when a disk cartridge 402 is inserted into a cartridge holder 403, a front surface 402a of the disk cartridge 402 pushes an eject lever 404. The eject lever 404 then overcomes an urging force of urge means 405 and is rotated. When the disk cartridge 402 is entirely accommodated in the cartridge holder 403, eject lever lock means 406 locks the eject lever 404 in position. The disk cartridge 402 is thereby prevented from ejecting from the cartridge holder 403. In this condition, the cartridge holder 403 is moved to a recording and reproducing position on the side of a chassis 407 and recording and/or reproducing of the disk cartridge 402 is then carried out. After recording and/or reproducing of the disk cartridge 402 has been completed, the cartridge holder 403 is moved from the recording and reproducing position to a cartridge insertion and withdrawal position. Lock release means 408 then unlocks the eject lever 404. This allows the eject lever 404 to be rotated by the urge means 405, thereby unloading the disk cartridge 402 from the cartridge holder 403.
More specifically, the eject lever 404 is rotatably and axially movably mounted to the chassis 407 via a shaft 409. The eject lever 404 is given a rotational force, and a pressing force to the chassis 407, by a coil spring as the urge means 405.
As described in the foregoing, when the disk cartridge 402 is inserted into the cartridge holder 403, the front surface 402a of the disk cartridge 402 pushes to rotate the eject lever 404. When the eject lever 404 is rotated to reach a point, at which the eject lever 404 clears a top surface of the chassis 407, the urge means 405 rotates the eject lever 404 in the direction of an arrow A. An engagement tab 406a included in the eject lever 404 is then engaged with an engagement recess 406b in a side surface of the chassis 407, thereby preventing the eject lever 404 from rotating in a return direction.
Reference is now made to FIG. 27. When the cartridge holder 403 is rotated toward the side of the chassis 407 in order to perform recording and/or reproducing, an inclined cam surface 410 included in the lock release means 408 contacts a cam engagement portion 411 included in the eject lever 404, causing the eject lever 404 to counteract the urging force of the urge means 405 and to escape in the direction of an arrow B. The cam engagement portion 411 is thereafter positioned on an eject lever operating surface 412 that continues to an upper end of the inclined cam surface 410. After recording and/or reproducing has been completed, the cartridge holder 403 is moved to the cartridge insertion and withdrawal position. Then, referring to FIG. 26, the eject lever operating surface 412 causes the eject lever 404 to rotate in the direction of an arrow C. The engagement tab 406a is then disengaged from the engagement recess 406b, allowing the eject lever 404 to be rotated by the urging force of the urge means 405. The disk cartridge 402 is thereby unloaded from the cartridge holder 403. Another arrangement may be made for the lock release means 408. Specifically, referring to FIG. 29, the lock release means 408 is made to deflect so as to temporarily escape from the cam engagement portion 411 of the eject lever 404. The lock release means 408 is then returned to the position of engagement with the cam engagement portion 411 by a returning force of the lock release means 408. (See, for example, Patent Document 1.)
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-259501